TWT

April 29-31

2008-04-29T12:40:00.001-07:00

This is going to be my last post on this TVVT blog.
I've decided to take all of my fasting off the record and pursue a different mentality of fasting.
Yes i will still be fasting 3 days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but our fasting team that we had is mostly over and done with and, when it starts up again one day, i feel the adequate cultivation in the Spirit and in the natural (this blog/ people going hard after fasting and righteousness) has been fulfilled.
So with that i just want to say, bless you if you've run onto this site. Feel free to read through posts of this blog, use the material for your own good. If you like something and want to make it your own just take it!
Prayer and Fasting is so important to our walks with Christ. Learn it! Live it! Cultivate a long history in fasting with the Lord. Voluntary weakeners pays off, the Lord is searching even now for humble people who will allow Him to work in/through their life.
God Bless!!
-Drew
e-mail:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com

April 22-24

2008-04-22T03:54:00.000-07:00

Connecting the dots...

In this fast group we use on Matt 5:6 as our focus verse:

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

I want to just throw it out there and say that God is the righteousness this verse is focusing on. How could we as sinful beings ever hope to say that we are righteous? We can have righteousness take hold in our hearts and manifest in our lives but apart from God, Who causes that to happen, we are not righteous.
So what does it mean to hunger and thirst after righteousness? It means to burn to be more like God. Hungering after God is a gift that He gives us to increase Himself in our lives. He tweaks our hearts and causes us to run to Him.
So what should my response be if im burning to know more of God or if i'm wanting and willing to act upon the way i feel towards Him?
Well there are many things you can do, but im going to highlight something out of Matt 9:14-15

14Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
15And Jesus said to them, "The attendance of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast."

Mourning after Jesus is longing for God in our lives. We all have a God shaped hole in our heart that only He can fill. Nothing else will satisfy. What happens when we come to grips with ourselves and actually want to do something about the longing for God that we have? Well Jesus invites us to fast.
I believe the best way to increase hungering for Jesus (the word, prayer, dwelling with His Spirit) is to fast. and i also believe it should be the next step in the relationship. Jesus said "But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast." Those days are upon us, its now that fasting and longing for righteousness and Jesus apply to our lives.
So i'd invite anyone who strolls upon this page or who regularly reads and even fasts to 'sign up' again this week and take time to fast and pray and really seek the Lords heart either on this topic or on another area of your walk that He has placed on your heart. I want to hunger and thirst after Jesus, i want to be lovesick for my Bridegroom. Fasting a little or a lot won't change the fact that God wants to satisfy. He'll meet us all where we are and give grace to those who seek Him. Lets just take things in stride this week and press in. Don't be shy.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!

April 15-17

2008-04-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

Matt 6:19-21

19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal;
21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

A few things about this:

-Jesus straight up tells us not to store up treasures on earth. As a lover of God i want to take this seriously and do what He says.
-Then He tells us that our hearts will belong to heaven (the kingdom of heaven) if we store our treasures up there.

So how does one store up treasures in heaven?
Well Jesus tells us in the verses just before these how someone can receive treasures in heaven.
3 main ways listed in chapter 6 are, giving to the poor, praying and fasting.

Jesus says that God will reward us if we follow through with these things in our lives.
These rewards are treasures in heaven.
Not only will we store treasures in heaven and be rich when we get there but also our hearts will be at a place where these 3 things are important to our daily lives, and if we would actually go hard after giving to the poor, praying in the closet and fasting we would live a life that is 'other than' and we'd live as those whose hearts are in another world and whose minds are focused on something 'above'. Who "waists" their money just giving it to people who don't deserve it and didn't work for it? Who gives up time to go away and be alone to pray? Who doesn't eat!? WHO DOES THAT?!
Well we should! Lets live extravagant lives and build upon these things and make them realities in our minds and hearts. Lets get our hearts up there in heaven and lets be strangers in the earth. Lets not conform to the day in day out nonsense that the world has to offer.
Lets fast and get there together!
Amen!
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!

April 7-9

2008-04-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Its the GBF! (Global Bridegroom Fast)
Lets join with saints all over the earth in a 3 day fast to encounter our Bridegroom Jesus Christ in an increased way and touch His heart through prayer and fasting to usher in the coming Kingdom of God.
http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=19844
God Bless!
-Drew

April 1-3

2008-04-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Colossians 3:17

17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

This is a hard reality to deal with. Doing everything in the name of Jesus and always with a spirit of thankfulness towards God, even when we don't want too or when things around us aren't going our way. Its important to get this understanding in our grid and to really contend to get it in our hearts and minds. It seems so easy to just get mad or frustrated or jealous and to totally forget that Gods perfect leadership is at hand in our lives. Its always important to give thanks to God in every situation. He's always at work for His and our good in our lives. So praise Him! If we put Jesus first in all we do and keep His praise in our hearts through thankfulness we can start on a road to greater understanding of this verse and of our Lord. Things like this don't happen over night but they happen one day at a time. One word, one deed at a time.
Fasting and praying this into our understanding seems like a great idea this week. Feel free to join in, or feel free to pursue the Lord in your own way. Having a focused lifestyle is so important when we run after the Lord. Fasting can totally help us in this pursuit.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!

March 25-27

2008-03-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

Philippians 4:6-7

6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

There is a time and a place in every believers heart when they decide they want to go hard after God. There are also seasons in an already devoted, maturing believers heart when they decide they will increase in focus or consecration for a season to pursue the Lord in a different way when the motives and circumstances seem right in their life.
I personally come before the Lord with my issues and my failures and I continually ask the Holy Spirit for grace to succeed and be perfect the way my heavenly Father is perfect (Matt5:48). Its in these moments that I turn from the ways that would engage in before and I will try to make a conscience effort to be different knowing the Holy Spirit will empower me to walk differently.
This is when the lie of the enemy comes in and he tries to make me think that I'm just pretending and that even though I say and act and think that "everything is all right" the devil keeps reminding me "no, everything is not all right look at all these issues in your life, look at all these areas of complacency and distress and unrest"
But the truth is as I take my thoughts and my prayers before my God, Who is all knowing, all loving and truly good I must give thanks to Him and I must tell myself that I'm not pretending but I am contending!
I wanted to write this in here to encourage anyone who comes to this page and anyone who will encounter the Lord this week in fasting and prayers and say: we have to get our heads up on things above. We gotta set our minds on a higher place (Eph 4:20-24) and we have to continually give thanks to God who seriously has made a way for us through the grace given by Christs blood which covers our lives(Eph 5:20). Don't let the enemy drag ya down with his lies. Settle in your heart where you want to be with the Lord and how deep you want your love to go for the Son and then push on by making it a reality in the ways you think, talk and act. Don't just pretend to live this life but truly contend to make it a reality. We all have to start somewhere. One step at a time is all the Lord is asking!(SOS 1:4)
Amen.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!

March 18-20

2008-03-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

James 1: 2-4

2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

My sister gave these verses as the Word of the Lord over my life in this season. So i said "I'm going to use this as my next TVVT focus!" and so here we are.
I want this verse to pass from just words on a page to the Lord's sovereign touch on my heart.
This week lets fast and pray and really find the meaning of these verses asking the Holy Spirit to reveal all truth and to press the reality of what these verses say in our daily lives and to reveal more of the Father through them. Thank you Jesus that you've made a way for us to come close to You and that You've given us clarity in times of hardship through your Word, Your Spirit and Your undying love for us!
-Amen
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.God Bless!

March 11-13

2008-03-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

Every week when i fast i like to have a special focus where i'll take a scripture to the Lord and really focus to pray it and meditate on it and let it drive deep in my mind and heart to let the Holy Spirit renew and change me. (Jn 17:17)
Fasting helps bring on a stronger burn for the Lord creating a heightened sense of spiritual awareness that can spur us on in deeper ways in our meditation, consecration, focus... etc.
This week i'll be looking at Proverbs 3:3,4
3Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.

These verses have great focuses for our love towards God and our love towards our neighbors. It covers both aspects of the two most important commandments that the Lord gives us. (Mk 12:29-31)
I want this to be alive in me on the inside and i want to have favor with God and man the way Jesus did or the way that Daniel did. I beleive the Lord is inviting us to dive deep in the ways of fasting and prayer to let Him accomplish this in our lives this week. So i invite you to join with me and fast these three days and pray that the Lord brings wisdom and revelation of His love and power in our lives to make this a reality within us by His Spirit. Amen
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!

March 3-5

2008-03-03T11:30:00.000-08:00

Its the GBF!!!! (Global Bridegroom Fast)
Lets join with saints all over the earth in a 3 day fast to encounter our Bridegroom Jesus Christ in an increased way and touch His heart through prayer to usher in the coming Kingdom of God.
http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=19844
God Bless!
-Drew

Feb 26-28

2008-02-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Sorry about missing last week. I was gone for a week long family vacation and we had no Internet access where we were staying.

So we're right back into the groove pursuing the Lord with fasting and prayer and strengthened commitment to keeping His commandments!

This week I want to highlight Matt 7:12

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

So if God the father the invisible, unknown, other - than, completely holy and transcendent being came down to give us a heads up on how to live and be more like Him and how to please His heart what would He say? He'd probably quote a lot of Matt 5-7.

The Sermon on the Mt. is Jesus exhorting His followers in Christianity 101. He basically says everything very plain and simple and just lays it all right out for us.

In my walk with the Lord I know the importance of falling in Love with Jesus and keeping His commandments. But i've also learned the importance of having that love manifest outwardly as love to the people who are around me.

I love in Matt 7:12 how Jesus just says it so simply how we should be towards those around us and how our inward Holy Spirit fueled relationship should spill over into our daily personal relationships and interactions with people.

The Law and the Prophets were Gods interaction with His people (the Jews) throughout history exhorting them on how they should be towards Him and each other. Jesus shows up and takes it all to the next level by gives us a huge advantage with increasing revelation and sending His Spirit and laying His life down to boost our success in following His commandments.

This week i've set it into my heart to try and pursue this verse and enlightening way to act towards those around me. Its so simple but if you really sit and think about it its so profound. This is such a huge step in humility, treating others the way i want to be treated. Laying my life down for those around me (John 3:30, John 15:13).

Fasting is such a helpful tool in reaching out and going deeper during these times of pursuit of God. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied! (Matt 5:6) I want to be satisfied after this week of going hard after the reality of Matt 7:12 in my life! God will increase in my life and i will reach deeper into the realities of who He is and how His love effects my life. Lets do this together and seek the Lord this week. If we draw near to Him He will draw near to us!(James 4:8)

Amen.

(if you have any questions on this blog or on fasting please read the profile or the December 18-20 post of 2007 or e-mail me (Drew) at mewithoutdrew@gmail.com)

Feb 12-14

2008-02-11T17:58:00.002-08:00

Here is something that’s been on my heart lately.

Matthew 6:14,15

14For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15but if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

In these verses in The Sermon on the Mount Jesus lays it right out for us and tells us the significance of forgiving others when they trespass against us.
So what does it look like when someone trespasses against me? How far should I take this verse?
One answer and a clear boundary is found in Colossians 3:12,13

12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you so also should you.

Its so very important that we as believers invite the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and to bring truth and direction and conviction of sin into our relationships. Our goal is to be free of sin and to be perfect and holy before our Father God. Let us not be found with a complaint against our brothers. Let us forgive those who trespass against us.

This week during the fast I’ll be looking into these verses along with the armor of God in Eph 6. I'd invite you to join along with me and go deep in the word to learn the strength given by God to achieve holiness and confidence while we press on with love for the Son. Let us conform our minds to that of Christ Jesus and by the power of the Spirit move forward day by day fasting and praying and meditation on the beauty of God to become more like Him, to be sons and daughters of our Lord.
Amen.
*For information on this page and this fast please read the profile or look at the Dec 18-20 2007 post. Also you can e-mail me at mewithoutdrew@gmail.com

Feb 4-6

2008-02-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

The GBF.
Join with saints around the world fasting and praying for revival and a move of God throughout the earth to usher in the return of Jesus.
http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=19844
-Drew

Jan 29-31

2008-01-28T19:09:00.000-08:00

All right,
Here we are basically at the one year mark!!!
Praise Jesus!!!!
LETS DO 3o MORE!
Hey, Johnny B (John the Baptist) fasted all the time living out there in the desert forerunning the way for Jesus and well, why can't we?! This is the forerunner generation, so lets get into it. Lets settle in for the long run.

Anyways. This week in the prayer room (http://sanctuaryhop.com/) our director Brian encouraged everyone to take a look at the book of Ephesians and give it a once over this week. That really resonated in my spirit and i feel the Lord has a divine appointment with all who take on the challenge of getting into that specific book of the Bible this week. I personally studied Eph 4-6 for a good 6-8 months and thoroughly enjoyed the revelation the Lord blessed me with.
Lets fast that into our hungry hearts and lets encounter God through the book of Ephesians this week! Let this weeks study enter your prayer language and let it provoke us to hunger and thirst for righteousness. (Matt 5:6)

The Unity of God - Jan 22-24

2008-01-21T18:13:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!

OK its update time:
This fast has been running for almost a year. We're coming up to our one year anniversary which will take place at the end of this month!!!
It excites me to think of how much God has impacted my heart during these weeks of voluntary weakness that i personally have put before Him as i have fasted every week for the last year.
The TVVT fast team hasn't always been via blog and personal "solo" commitment. We first started at the International House of Prayer and at one point we were 15+ members who met every week to fast and pray and hold eachother to accountibility and confession of sin and a higher level of seeking the Lord together.
My dream is that this fast team will one day transition into the prayer room here in Winnipeg MB. SHOP (http://sanctuaryhop.com/)
That day will come, and this one year mark is just one step closer. The fast has continued even when the initial group dispersed. The fast will continue into a new season because of the spiritual/natural ground that has been cultivated through this blog. Bring it on Jesus!!!!! Amen.

This week i am speaking about The Unity of God at SHOP. Here are my notes for my talk. Its from my own understanding and it is to be taken directed completely about God and about His Unity.
Fasting and prayer can help heighten a fascination of God! He wants to surprise us and fascinate us by His transcendent beauty!! Enjoy Him, love Him, praise Him, worship Him. Say 'Yes' to His divine purpose for your life that is rooted and grounded in His love.
If you have any questions or concerns about this blog please e-mail me at mewithoutdrew@gmail.com or look at the profile or check the Dec 18-20 post of 2007.
-Drew

The Unity of God: A glimpse into the oneness of God with man.
By Drew Gusztak

I. MY OWN PERSONAL CALLING AND GROWTH IN UNITY WITH GOD

A. My dream concerning John 17:21 at IHOP Nov. 3/07

II. GODS UNITY WITH HIMSEFL AND MAN

A. It is clear through scripture that God is a singular being. Genesis 1:1 clearly states that in the beginning there was one being, who before creation, stood alone. This is God the Father as we know Him, meaning He is the Father of all creation and the absolute ruler of heaven and earth. The next character who we are introduced to is the Spirit of God whom appears to be like God and who is God but is a person all His own whom must have been there before/during/after creation as well. The next character who we are introduced to is the Word of God. (Jn 1:1,2) He is the first manifestation of God within His created realm who, according to the rest of the Bible, Is God and was apart of everything that God could have been, meaning He also was there before/during/after creation. (Jn 4:24, 8: 42)

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Jn 4:24)

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God… (Jn 42: 46)

B. Throughout the rest of scripture, starting from Gen 1:1, we follow an in-depth story of how God interacts as these three persons with His creation. A very climactic portion of scripture is when God the Father thunders His voice over His Son Jesus, a man, and sends His Spirit to rest on Him. (Matt 3: 16-17, Mk 1: 11-12, Luke 3: 21-22) Here we see all three persons of God interacting with each other in the same place at the same time.

C. Jesus, the living breathing Word of God full of the Holy Spirit, the one sent from God who is God came for one very specific reason and He even chose to look the part for which He came. He came for Humans. The One from the Father, who had the Spirit, who spoke the Words of life who is a man, Jesus. He is the prophetic picture of oneness with God.

D. Not only did Jesus display unity with God He also spoke it into existence and allowed all men to be in unity with the Father. At the end of His ministry Jesus prays to His Father in heaven and seals everything He did by declaring with the Words of life that we would be one just as He and the Father are one. (Jn 17:21, 23)

21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also maybe be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (Jn 17:21)

23I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfect in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.(Jn 17:23)

III. GOD IS ONE. HE DESIRES HIS CREATION TO BE JUST LIKE HIM.

A. An aspect of the unity of God comes from the understanding that God is a perfect and holy being who can not have any involvement with sin but that He does have involvement with His creation who is wrapped in sin. The Lord knew sin would enter His creation. He wouldn’t just give up on His creation, its not in His character to do that. So it is Who He Is that He would interact with His creation and with Himself in different ways to deliver His beloved creation and His most beloved creatures in love. Not only does God deal with His creation as a most Holy God seated in heaven completely separated from sin He also interacts with His creation as a loving Spirit dwelling around and within sin/sinful beings and He also interacts as His loving Son who conquered sin, He does this all with perfect unity with Himself.

B. God created man in His own image and likeness. (Gen 1:26) So it wasn’t a surprise to God that Adam was not satisfied being alone in the garden. So God created woman and He proclaimed that man and woman would become one flesh.(Gen 2:24) The same way God was one Spirit with Himself. Once again God revealed Himself through creation allowing man and woman to become a part of what God Himself was.

26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness… (Gen 1:26)

24...and they shall become one flesh. (Gen 2:24)

C. God desires relationship. He desires partnership and He desires it with Himself and His creation. He desires it for Himself and He desires it/allows it for us His most beloved creation. He desires for us perfect unity in our relationships. He knows that it can only come through Him when we are one with Him and He knows it comes only through love.

VI. GODS LOVE = PERFECT UNITY.

A. God is in love with Himself. (Jn 17:23) All three persons of God are wrapped in a love affair with each other that far surpasses our knowledge or understanding. Gods unity is Gods love. All of Gods motives and actions are based on love. Fist and foremost the ways in which God interacts with Himself within all three persons being rooted in love, but also the way in which He deals with His creation which is also completely established in love.(Jn 3:16) In Ephesians 3 Paul establishes the ultimate relationship between man and God and its basis is in love. All the fullness of God is based in love.(Eph 3:19) Therefore Gods unity is also based in love.

For God so loved… (Jn 3:16)

And to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:16-19)

B. Jesus exhorts Israel and the Church in Mark 12:29-31 establishing oneness of God on the basis of love and the Godheads heart towards their beloved creation.

29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (NKJV)

C. The Lord is one. All three persons of the Godhead agree on every level of transcendent comprehension. They have also made a way for humans to share in their oneness and it is through the love that God shares with Himself and His creation. God loving Himself is the ultimate solution to any “worldly” problem and it is also the very joy of the holy Godhead. God has 100 percent interaction with all facets of life through the love He shares with Himself. His love effects heaven as He sits on the throne. His love effects earth as His Spirit moves over its surface and His love effects His most precious creation as His Son drives Himself deep into our hearts through His word and His Spirit. Gods will allows Him to have complete control over all heaven and earth, and His love is the means by which His will is accomplished. The unity that He shares within Himself brings together the ultimate gratification of a transcendent holy God who is working in and through His creation to ultimately share Himself in a profound way which causes all heaven and earth to worship and love Him because He is worthy of all honour glory power and praise. (Rev 4:11)

D. Paul’s words to the Colossians sums up our unity with each other though love plainly and simply…

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (Col. 3:14)

E. The Lord has invited the body of Christ to join together in love like He has with Himself. His love comes through Christ, who is our way to God. Without Christ we would not know how to love the way God loves. Jesus and the love He gives will guide us to unity, and His love helps us comprehend the unity of God within Himself.

And to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:16-19)

Jan 15-17

2008-01-15T04:56:00.000-08:00

Helpful hints...

The Bible is one of our main tools which we can use to dive deeper into the revelation of who God is.
One of the ways in which we can do that, is by taking portions of our favorite scripture and making them part of our every day lives by meditating on them and by speaking them as our prayer language to Him.
Allowing the passages that we read in the Bible to enter our prayer language can be such a helpful tool in our walk with Christ. Ephesians 6 tells us to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. A believer has to put their mind to the task of taking up the word every day. As we learn more of the Bible by reading it, and as we learn to add it to our prayer language it helps us to take advantage of what we have learned by praying it and speaking it to God and applying it to our every day lives.
Any portion of scripture can be used this way so feel free to go wild with God engaging your heart with whatever area of scripture you are reading. There are many, many benefits to doing this throughout our lives. This is one of the ways in which the Word becomes alive within us and its also one of the ways that it helps to change us. (Jn 17:17)
When we fast we should be vigilant to pray and connect with the Lord. Lets drive hard to solidify portions of the Bible in our daily prayer language to connect with God in a profound way and to learn His heart for our lives.
-Drew
If you have questions or concerns e-mail me at mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
If you are new to this site and wish to have further info on fasting or what this is all about check the profile or the Dec 18-20 2007 post.

Jan 7-9

2008-01-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

Its the GBF!!!! (Global Bridegroom Fast)
Bring it on!
Lets join with saints all over the earth in a 3 day fast to encounter our Bridegroom Jesus Christ in an increased way and touch His heart through prayer to usher in the coming Kingdom of God.
http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=19844
God Bless!
-Drew

Jan 1-3

2008-01-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone!!

What a better way to bring in the new year then with a 3 day fast...

Matt 5:48

48Therefore you (put your name here ___) are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

This is a pretty heavy verse... how can I be prefect? I sin all the time!
Yes we are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked without Jesus.
But He looks at our heart and when we say "Yes!" to Him He sees only the indwelling Holy Spirit within us and the Father sees us covered by the blood of the Lamb and He sees us as perfect. The more we say "Yes!!!" the more He works in us to make us perfect.
So if we are perfect then why don't we act like it?!
This is faith and works in a nutshell.

Lets bring in the new year fasting and praying, believing that Jesus has saved us from all sin and that He is working in us while we have this "Yes!" in our hearts. Let us agree that He says we are prefect and lets act like it. The more I act on the beliefs I have the more the Lord will confirm them in my heart and in my life manifesting Himself through me making me perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect.
Fasting can help strengthen the YES and the faith we need to reach deep into Gods heart. The Holy Spirit will direct us there through this next year of fasting and prayer! The grace we need to achieve this is there!(2Cor 12:9) Lets take hold of what the Lord has for us!(Matt 11:12)
-Drew
If you have any questions or concerns please e-mail me at mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
Also if you are new to this site or wish to have more info on fasting please read the post from Dec 18-20.

Dec 25-27

2007-12-24T15:16:00.001-08:00

Take a break, eat some food and have a great week!

Merry Christmas!!!!

-Drew

Isaiah 9: 2-7

2The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
5For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Dec 18-20

2007-12-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

This week I'll be dealing with a few of the nitty gritty specifics about fasting, we'll be looking at the Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How of fasting.

Who?

Everyone!!!!

Everyone needs food and everyone can make a choice to say 'no' to food and 'yes' to more of God. The Lord made a way so that anyone (no matter what situation or circumstance) and everyone could experience this specific style of communion with Him and its as simple as not eating.

What?

True biblical fasting is fasting food. There are many other good fasts such as fasting time, money, speech, the media etc... But in the context of biblical fasts and this tvvt fast group we fast food. A direct result of fasting food on a regular basis is entering a season of a "fasted lifestyle" where a believer will usually automatically eliminate many other distractions in their lives and focus on God in an increased way which would lead to them dealing with time, money, speech etc... and giving that over to God as well.

It is important to ask yourself and the Lord how you want to fast. Be realistic. Never fasting before then trying to do a 10 day water fast usually doesn't work very well. If you are new start off slow and eliminate a meal a day or certain foods. Getting down to just liquids and eventually just water is a good goal to set for yourself. The Lord gives grace and someone who is fasting needs to realize the grace that is given them and then contend for more!

Try not to be too religious about your fast. Fasting is an error free way to express our heart to God. If I eat during a fast I haven't sinned. Just thank the Lord for the grace given and the posture of your heart you've attained through His Spirit and keep fasting like nothing happened. Stay focused remembering that this is mostly for you and not God. He isn't more impressed when we fast for long periods of time compared to when we don't. He gives us fasting as a vehicle to get ourselves closer to Him, not the other way around.

Also the same muscle you flex when you say 'no' to food during a fast is the same muscle you flex when you say 'no' to sin. You will realize that God truly does build you up during an immense time of humility through simply not eating.

When?

Whenever you want.

One day a week is a good start. 3 days a week/joining this fast group is a great idea!

If you're feeling a burn to know God more then FAST! If you're still feeling it, FAST MORE!!

If you have to work during the day, fast in the evening. If you have to work during the evening fast during the day. Its that simple. Learning some of the practicals of not eating is done mostly by trial and error. Learning the practicals of communing with God is a heart posture and a choice to focus on Him. Put the 2 together and you've got a great equation to an amazing adventure with the Lord! (and you'll find that the 2 parts of the equation complement each other perfectly!!!)

Where?

Fasting in the closet and in the secret place.

Get away to your room. Go deep in your heart/mind with the Holy Spirit and the Word.

Set apart time to read the Bible and pray.

Have a focus. Even if its just one day pick a verse from the Bible and go deep in it the best way you can. Praying(speaking)/singing in tongues is also a great tool when fasting.

Set your heart before the Lord and give your fast to Him and He will use it no matter what you do BUT the more you set aside time for yourself (in the closet/secret place before Him), that's when you'll truly see the difference!!! Remember this is for you, take advantage of it!!!! The Lord will honor your fast and you will grow no matter the circumstance but I urge you to take it serious and draw away with Him.

Why?

The context of New Testament fasting and this tvvt fast is mourning for the Bridegroom. Longing to get our own hearts closer to Jesus' (Matt 9: 14,15). A result of this will be: heightened consecrated lifestyle, increased revelation of Him, revival, renewal, repentance, accountability, dreams, visions, visitations etc...

Having a focus to tackle issues in your own personal life is a good thing to do while fasting and the Lord will work through those issues so I'd encourage anyone to do that.

This fast team could have many members but we normally do not fast corporately as the church might fast to see a distinct change in situations or circumstances. We usually won't fast directly for revival or the in breaking of God in a city or nation (ex: The Call Nashville http://www.ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=1000015986).

This fast (tvvt/Matt 9 Bridegroom fast) is very personal and intimate and it tackles the heart issues which then reflects outwardly as righteousness and a change in our personal lives which then will effects situations and circumstances.

When its all said and done I want to be more like God. Everything else will fall into place. (Matt 6:33)

How?

Numbers 6: 21

"This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the Lord according to his separation, in addition to what else he can afford; according to his vow which he takes, so he shall do according to the law of his separation."

I love using this verse for fasting, here is how I look at it:

My offering to God is my heart. From that comes a longing to touch Him in an increased way. From that comes fasting.

My separation is simple: Food.

What am I willing to afford: energy, time, degree of daily intake (ex: 1 meal a day/water) (My own personal goal is to get myself down to only water. But crazy grace or the right circumstances must be in place and I need to discern that for myself. There is a time and a season for different degrees of fasting (in the context of not eating) its important to shy away from a religious spirit.)

The vow that I take is how I decide I will fast for that specific fast. Even if its fasting for just one day I need to decide ahead of time how I will fast (physically/mentally/spiritually). Fasting=Focus.

Then once a vow is made I should try and follow through "I will do according to the law of my separation."

Read through Numbers 6. The Nazirite was an Old Testament fasted lifestyle that is still applicable today. Many of us are Nazarites at heart. We will tear our hearts and not our garments. (Joel 2:13) It doesn't matter what it looks like outside its your heart that counts. Get your heart in the right place before the Lord. Say 'Yes!' to fasting and go for it!!!! He will take you by the hand and lead you through it.

So that's it folks. Hope this helped.

There is one last thing I wanted to say and that is: Your flesh will rage during a fast. Stuff is going to come out of you that you never thought was there. No matter how long you've been fasting or how Holy you think you are... sin is in there and God is gunna get rid of it. I have personally dealt with a lot of self control issues in my own life in the context of fasting. This type of thing is usually more of a problem for girls/ girls in our generation and a lot of the time it manifests as eating disorders. Guys deal with the same issues but in different ways. For Guys and Girls it usually looks one of two ways: a decrease in eating after a fast or an increase in eating after a fast. Its important to take all of that before the Lord before/during/after a fast. Give it all to Him and tell Him you won't let fear get in the way of Love. Let the Holy Spirit minister to you and allow Him to guide you. What, when and how to eat before and after a fast is very important if you want to stay healthy. If you want in depth info on this e-mail me at
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com

I'll probably end up doing a post on that as well but till then,

Keep fit and have fun! Body break!

er...

God Bless and keep that fire burning! Put on those wings and fly with the Lord higher and higher, fasting can help ya get there.

-Drew

Dec 11-13

2007-12-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

An oldie but a goody...

Isaiah 58 is going to give us the breakdown in regards to fasting. Here we go!

3'Why have we fasted and You do not see?
Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?'
Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire,
And drive hard all your workers.
4"Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist
You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.
5"Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it for bowing one's head like a reed
And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD?
6"Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
7"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8"Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am '
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
10And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
11"And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

K so these verses are pretty heavy and there is a lot of good content in there. One thing i want to highlight is that one of the main outcomes of a fast is that we get closer to God. There are various fasts that the Bible speaks of that do various things to the person and to God as we try to move our hearts and His while we fast. The main reason to fast which is mentioned in the NT (which I highlighted again a couple months ago) is fasting for the Bridegroom. We fast to put ourselves into voluntary weakness to get more of God in our lives. This fast in particular does not necessarily move Gods heart the way some OT fasts might (Joel 2, Daniel 10:3 are examples). Its for our hearts, for us to stir ourselves up to reach for more of God.
This is what i want to highlight this week in Isaiah 58. Each verse gives detail on how the fast brings about righteousness and holiness making someone more like God or actually bringing God closer to them in their lives. Look at verse 9.
9"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am '
This is what we want! this is why we fast! we fast to put ourselves in voluntary weakness saying "God have your way in my life! Make me perfect!(Matt 5:48) "Let me hear Your voice!" "Here is my heart and my focus, its You and I won't let anything get in the way of that, Not even food!"
One of the reasons why i fast is to heighten my focus on God for these 3 days. Look through Isaiah 58. Every result of each thing spoken of is more of God or of what God wants. This is revival. I want daily revival in my life. "Your kingdom come, Your will be done!" (Matt 6:10)
Daily breakthrough is something we need to be aiming at in our lives. Every day i need breakthrough with the Lord. Doesn't matter what area of my life or how significant. Daily breakthrough is needed! It will cause me to go deeper with God and learn who He is.
So i encourage you all to fast and pray and seek the Lords face during these 3 days. Ask Him to take you deeper in consecration and deeper in holiness. And then focus to actualy step forward to tackle areas in your life that hold you from that. (SOS 2:15) Don't let anything get in the way of the fruit that God will cause to grow from your heart! Grab that fav verse and study, meditate, sing and pray it. Read Isaiah 58, reflect on what these verses say. Seek righteousness and personal revival and breakthrough in your own life!
God Bless.
-Drew

7 Day Fast

2007-12-03T17:23:00.000-08:00

Hello...

Our HOP (Sanctuaryhop.com) has joined IHOP for the 7 day fast thats happening this week.
The funny thing about that is that I had a longing to go on an extensive fast even before I heard IHOP or the HOP im involved with was going on one. Other people who come to our prayer room also had plans to go on a 7 day fast without even knowing anyone else would be doing one as well so its clear that the Spirit is moving through the bride to unite us during this week of fasting.
When going on a fast like this its very important to have corporate and personal goals set before oneself on how they want to focus during the fast. I'm not going to mention anything corporate for TVVT but I will tell you what I am doing personally to help me engage with the Spirit and go deep in the Word to seek after the Father.
I will be studying Jn 17:21 all week long. This is my personal life verse. It was given to me from the Lord in a dream and I received very specific revelation concerning my calling which is centered around this verse from the Lord. So for my own personal growth I will go studying and praying and singing this verse throughout the fast. I'd encourage all of you who want to join to do something similar. It will obviously look differently from what I'm doing but a personal focus for a fast is a great idea!
So be blessed! Seek Him! Find Him!!!
-Drew

Nov 27-29

2007-11-27T07:25:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody

There are times in every believers life when they feel run down or discouraged in their relationship with God. Yes, we are sinful. But the Lord sees us as beautiful and perfect when we have a 'Yes' in our hearts and when we are sincerely trying to obey Him and love Him.
When we feel discouraged and when we are caught in crisis the Lord sees us one way. He sees us as lovely. (SOS 1:5)

SOS 1:9-10 (NASB)
- Here is the way the Lord responds to the Shulammite in SOS when she is confronted with spiritual crisis and a longing for the Lord. This is how He says she is and this is how He says we are.

"To me my darling, you are like
My mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.
"Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with strings of beads."

First He calls her His darling. He confirms in her heart from the get-go that she is His favorite one.
The mare among the chariots of Pharaoh is a symbol of strength and power and righteousness. the Lord is saying she is equipped in righteousness way more than she thinks she is and He knows what her true potential is.
Her cheeks are lovely with ornaments - meaning that the emotions she portrays on her face and the way she shows them to God is lovely to Him. He can see the way her face blushes or turns away when She is confronted before Him in emotion and no matter what it looks like He is pleased and undone by her.
The neck is a symbol of will. So 'Your neck with strings of beads' is referring to her submission to God. When the 'Yes' in her heart is in full bloom even though She is caught in a crisis. The strings of beads refers to divine character that she wears around her neck. The way royalty would wear expensive chains of gold around their neck. the Lord sees her with a will ready to turn and bend to His love even in weakness.
(all info taken from Mike Bickle's SOS verse by verse study guide)

So basically what I'm getting at here is that even when anyone of us feels down in the dumps about where we stand with God - and we all get this way sometimes - Its important to know how He feels towards us and how He loves us in those moments.
Then once we find out from reading things like SOS 1:9-10 we can agree and pray it into our lives. Taking the scriptures and focusing on them in a prayerful way telling God how He loves us and what He's said about us in His word and making it real in our hearts. Add some fasting into that and it will just make the experience that much more enjoyable! God Bless! have fun!
-Drew

Nov 20-22

2007-11-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick exhort for ya'll on fasting and how it applies to all of our lives this week:

Matt 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

So according to Jesus its a good thing that we mourn. What does this mourning look like? Why is it such a good thing that one would be blessed for mourning? Well lets look at another passage that might help shine some light into questions like these.

Matt 9: 14Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
15And Jesus said to them, "The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

In the context of this verse mourning is longing for more of Jesus. The disciples could not mourn for Jesus while He was with them but they would once He had left.
We all long for change. We all want 'something more' in our lives. Even if we are going hard for God throughout the days and weeks and years we still have a longing for more change and more breakthrough. We long for God's kingdom to come and for His will to be done!
We will not be satisfied until heaven comes down to earth and they are united and ultimate peace and revival take place on the earth. (Rev 21,22)

One way to mourn in context to Matt 5 i believe, is when a believer needs more of Jesus in their life. When he/she realizes that the business as usual way of living just won't cut it. Mourning comes from a place of getting with grips of the reality of Christianity and a love for Jesus. The more we have in this life the worse off we will be. Take a look a the rich young ruler, he had everything but yet he was so far from God he even turned Him down face to face. (Matt 19)
He must increase, I must decrease (Jn 3:30)
In everything I must give more to Jesus, and even though He might not be calling me to sell everything (in the natural) and follow Him right now He is asking for that from my heart. And i must be ready to do the same with all my earthly possessions and standings.
We will mourn because we want more of Him in whatever way that looks like in your own personal journey. And its a good thing because when we long for Jesus when we seek Him out and when we are troubled by the the lack of righteousness in our lives and in the circumstances around us He is pleased. He is pleased because its a sign that the 'Yes!' in our hearts towards Him is having an effect on our lives. He is pleased because we are saying 'Yes!' to Matt 5:48. And He now has the means to get us there.

So take a second this week and observe your walk with the Lord. Ask the Holy Spirit, 'God where am I in regards to mourning for the Son?' Tell Him that you want to 'kiss the Son' (Ps. 2) Or have Him kiss you with the kisses of His word (SOS 1:2)
Jesus said to those who have, more will be given and to those who don't have EVERYTHING will be taken away. (Matt 13:12) Our mourning is a good sign that we have something in the kingdom. Even though it looks like poverty on this side, and even though our hearts are feeling downcast and crushed its the complete opposite in the heavenly kingdom. For truly we are blessed! It means we are willing to give up more for Jesus. It means we are truly hurt and distressed with our lives and where we stand against sin. It means we will go long hours and even days without pleasures to seek after more of Jesus. And God will reward us for it.
This is love sickness. Fasting/mourning, not eating because i somehow NEED more of Jesus, and biblical this is one of the BEST ways to get it!! Reading the Word, Fasting and Praying.
Amen.

Nov 13-15

2007-11-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody

Ok here we go...

One of the many ways in which we can commune with the Holy Spirit throughout the day is by speaking Gods word over our lives. Jesus, in John 16, tells us that the Holy Spirit is our Helper who will guide us into all truth. Truth only comes from God. God placed this truth into His Word. Jesus is the living Word of God. What I'm trying to get at here is that when we dial down and speak to the Holy Spirit by quoting biblical phrases over ourselves He will then be empowered to help these statements become true over our lives and He (the HS) will help us become more like Jesus. (Jn 17:17)
For example:
Someone could be having problems with where they are looking and they could be giving themselves over to the lusts of the flesh by allowing their eyes to run this way and that. The Bible clearly states that this is not a good thing. (Matt 6:22,23)
So in order to deal with this problem that person could address the Holy Spirit in any given moment through their day (many times repeatedly) and they could pray "Lord I wish to have 'doves eyes.'" (SOS 1:5) When a dove looks somewhere they can only see straight forward meaning if someone had doves eyes set on Christ they would only see Him and would be fixed on Him.
Or the person could pray "Holy Spirit help me to keep my eyes in check so that I do not turn to a wicked way" - (Proverbs 4:25-27)

These little prayers that we address to the Lord seriously help a lot! Not only do they keep us communing with the Holy Spirit throughout our day they actually help us keep ourselves in check and God will actually move on our hearts and He will lead us into victory!
So I'd like to challenge anyone who's fasting this week or whoever has read this, to find some great prayer language and focus on an area that you struggle in and seek the Lord this week with prayer and fasting and rending your heart! (Joel 2:12,13)
I'm personally going to hit Song of Songs and focus on the example of 'doves eyes' for this week. Asking the Lord to continually sustain me and refresh me (SOS 2:5). That I will walk out of my hardships fully dependant on Him being victorious (SOS 8:5)!!
-Drew

Oct 30 - Nov 1

2007-10-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Lets jump right in!

Daniel 12:10
10"Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.

If you look at the context of this verse in Daniel 12 you will realize that it is a message given to Daniel regarding the end times and the last generation. Our generation.

We serve a Holy God. A Holy God who can not sin. But He is an all knowing God. His omniscients is so great that even though He can't sin He still knows what sin is, and the outcome of creatures when they fall into sin. Yes you all probably know this already. But its a good fundamental revelation to dive deeper into the Lords heart on how He deals with those creatures in sin.
We are all sinful. We were born into sin and since the fall we will have problems with sin until the day we die and then on the Lords Day resurrected into our new bodies. (1Cor.15)
The Lord knowing sin and how we will act in it has figured out the quickest way to show us the most love with the least severe means in doing it. The Lords leadership is flawless.
So a Holy God has to pull a sinful creature out of sin and into His loving arms. We all know that this is not an easy thing and that it will cause pain! The Lord also knows this and so He helps us by giving us His Spirit and He puts a 'Yes' in our hearts so that we will agree with Him. After we say 'Yes' to His leadership He then allows us to partner with Him by rending our hearts (Joel 2) and putting ourselves in a place where we allow the Lord to take full priority in our lives in regards to holiness.
So why is it that even though we want to partner with God and learn about Him and how He works in holiness do we turn from Him when things start going wrong. Why is it that the second I feel pain I get angry and start hating my neighbour and myself and unintentionally (but actually very intentionally) God. Its because the head knowledge I have of Him and the way He works righteousness and holiness through me in sin is not in my heart and that overflow of oil (intimacy) can not come forth when I am going through troubles. Troubles the Lord allows me to go through. Troubles the Lord allowed to happen so that I could go deep in Him! And allow Him to strengthen me. So that I would lean on Him and allow His grace by His Spirit to give me fresh revelation and understanding on how He works in my life and what my relationship with Him is really like. Cause lets face it guys, the Lord wants to be with us!!! Way more than we want to be with Him. But He won't take us till we have reached all that He has planned for us to walk out. He wants us to receive a full reward. This full reward is rooted in Holiness. Its rooted in Righteousness. And its deep in love!!! He will have us and if its up to Him (which i pray it will be!) then He will have us perfect and He will wait and press in and make room for us to grow. Its just hard because its usually through trial and hardship and pain because we are fallen and wrapped in sin.
So looking again at Daniel

Daniel 12:10
10"Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.
This week lets agree with the Lord. Yes! I WILL be purged! I will be purified! I will be refined! And I will come out more righteous and more holy and more like my heavenly Father, because He loves me and I love Him and I want to be with HIS SON and He wants me to be with Him where He is!!(John 17:24)!!!
Believe it! sing it! pray it! If you do these three things it will move from your head to your heart and you will have insight so that you will understand why it is happening and what the final outcome is and Who in those moments you are serving. Amen.
-Drew

Oct 23-25

2007-10-23T15:51:00.001-07:00

Well be taking a loot at 2 verses this week:
John 3:30
30"He must increase, but I must decrease.
Matt 22: 37-39
37And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38"This is the great and foremost commandment. 39"The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'

God must increase in our lives! Jesus must be made more, and we must be made less. But Jesus is a man!!!! try taking John 3:30 and putting it in the context of the second most important commandment.
The Lord reveals Himself through His body, the church. We need to learn how to Love the Lord and our neighbors as ourselves.
This week lets place our hearts into submission with John 3:30 and lets aim it towards Jesus and our brothers and we see Him in them. Less of me and more of everyone else!! Bring on humility and learning how to love.
Amen!
-Drew

Oct 16-19

2007-10-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

Whats been hitting home lately...

Proverbs 1-8 have been really impacting my heart over the last 2-3 weeks. I'm going to pick my most favorite verses for ya'll to chew on if ya want. Have a great week of fasting and focusing on the Lord!!

Proverbs 1: basically the first 6 verses map out the practical ways in which meditating on and walking out the next chapters in this book will help us in the spiritual and natural. Its a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. Just think of how Daniel was such a man of wisdom and knowledge, even at such a young age or even how Jesus grew in wisdom and stature in the sight of God and men. (Luke 2:52) We too can have this! We can attain this too the same degree!!

2To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of understanding,
3To receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;
4To give prudence to the naive,
To the youth knowledge and discretion,
5A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6To understand a proverb and a figure,
The words of the wise and their riddles.

Verse 7 is the clincher on how we can truly attain these things listed in v.1-6
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

2 things I'd like to point out from this:
(1) Proverbs 8:13
13"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverted mouth, I hate.

So this verse takes care of the 1st part of Proverbs 1:7 but what about the 2nd part? How do I grow to love wisdom and instruction?

(2) Proverbs 1:23
23"Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.

In this verse it is Wisdom who is speaking and declaring these things. If we seek after Wisdom and realize His ways are so much higher and greater and if we submit ourselves to His leadership and discipline then He will give us a spirit of excellence and of understanding that will allow us to seek more diligently after such a high calling as stated in Proverbs 1:2-6.

Proverbs 2:1-7 solidifies this:
1My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
4If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.
6For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

Guys this is what we want!!!! This is Ephesians 1:17-19
17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might

Everything prayed for in this prayer can be found by simply choosing to follow the Lord and seek after His wisdom (as stated in Proverbs 1-8 and the verses i highlighted). Its the Yes in our hearts and drives us deeper and deeper into the knowledge and discernment of God that will cause us to love Him.

Proverbs 4:4 and 7 state this simply and directly. This is how we should live, this is what we want in our hearts:

4Then he taught me and said to me,
"Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;
5Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6"Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7"The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.

The only way to get wisdom or understanding is to GET IT!!! You must decide in your heart if you want it. And once you say yes to it and seek it out you WILL find it. And find an abundance of it!

So i urge all on this fast team and anyone else who reads this blog to read Proverbs 1-8 sometime this week. And to decide in your hearts that you will seek after the wisdom and understanding of God!! Be Blessed!!

-Drew

Oct 9-11

2007-10-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

Philippians 2:3

3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; (NASV)

The NKJV says:
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Read it, pray it, sing it, live it!
Amen.
-Drew

Sept 1-3

2007-10-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

Thats right!!!

It's the GBF!

http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=19844

Do it!!!!!
-Drew

Sept 25-27

2007-09-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Ok i'm just going to lay some things out for ya'll:

Our goal though this fast and basically through our lives:
Matt 5:6 6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
1Cor 4:1,2 - 1Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

So we want to hunger and thirst after righteousness (after love) and we want to get to know Jesus and our God.
This last week the Lord, once again, taught me a very important lesson which is found in Proverbs 3:12 -

For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

If love ever leaves our hearts in any moment, or towards any peoples or situation we are liable to stumble or fall into sin. We cannot let this happen! In every moment/situation/relationship we need to check our hearts and know if we are following through in love. This hungering and thirsting for righteousness, to act as Jesus did should be a desire of our hearts.
Along with bridling our mouths, eyes, minds, time, money ect... we need to continually check our hearts in every situation. This week lets invite the Holy Spirit to do that at a greater measure and lets bring on the holy conviction and fear of the Lord. Amen.
-Drew

Sept 18-20

2007-09-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Another week...

Here is our verse this week:

Matt 13:11-12
11Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
12"For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

It has been granted to us to understand the mysteries of God. (1Cor4:1) This is a pretty intense thing if you take a second to think about it.
God's nature is to give more to those who already have and to fully take away from any of those who don't have anything... this used to really mess me up. You'd think a good God would give to those who had nothing. But a God who is Holy is going to give more to those who are pressing on to be perfect as He is. (Matt 5:48) And the person who hasn't improved at all, everything will be taken away from him, that person would not be moving forward in holiness at all.
One of the ways we move forward in holiness is by gaining wisdom and understanding about who God is (Eph 1:17-19). Thats why in all our getting we must get understanding. We must get more of God, we must grow in our understanding of who He is (Prov. 4:4,5). And He will give more because we gave all we had to get more of Him, to become more like Him (2Cor 3:18, 1Jn 3:1-3)
So be blessed this week. Get in the Word and talk to the Holy Spirit and let Him guide you into all truth.
-Drew

Sept 11-13

2007-09-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Last week was the Global Bridegroom Fast. So our house of prayer here in Winnipeg (Sanctuaryhop.com) prayed and fasted and individually we set ourselves apart before the Lord in an increased way of focus and cconsecration in our daily walks with Him.
My focus was Dan. 1:8 - But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself...
So i fasted and said in my heart that i would tackle the area's where i was week and i would not defile myself by choosing my flesh and the carnal things of this life over God. And i was successful by praying and fasting and taking action to go hard the other way, away from sin. And i had victory over these areas of my life where i struggled, The Lord is faithful.
Every week in TVVT i do the same. I pick a verse or chapter or song from the Bible and i use it to attack an area of my life in spiritual violence to enlarge my heart in love for God and others. This basically means a higher level of consecration before the Lord and striving for Holiness (or hungering and thirsting for righteousness Matt6:6 - our moto/ the verse God gave us for this fast team.)
This week we'll be looking at Dan 11:32
...but the people who know their God will display strength and action.
The more i know the Lord the more strength He gives me by His Spirit (Eph 3:16-19) to progress in Love. Love = Righteousness (1Jn 3:10,11) Righteousness = Following Jesus' commandments(Jn 15:1o) /living the way He did - becoming more like Him by reading about Him (2Cor 3:18)
This week i will give myself to knowing God in every moment in every situation. Living for the Bread of Life. Living to serve Jesus, and living to know that in every moment/situation i can get revelation on WHO GOD IS, That prophetic kiss the Holy Spirit gives us when Jesus reveals Himself and how He would act and how we should act, the way we start to act when we follow His commandments, Following HIS WILL!! Press on to live in humility and servant hood! Press on to live the Matt 5-7 lifestyle. Be blessed with strength and take action!
-Drew

Sept 3-5

2007-09-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Its the GBF again!!
Have fun Ya'll
Be Blessed.
-Drew

Aug 28-30

2007-08-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody,

I dunno bout any one else but for me last week was such a good fasting/praying week.
I ended up getting great revelation and breakthrough on 1Jn 3:3. It seriously helped me so much while working on some mind/heart housecleaning.

So this week we'll be looking at John 4: 27, 30

27..."A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven."
30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."

These words are spoken by John the Baptist about Jesus. Everything John says in v 27-36 is such a gold mine. I'd recommend daily mediation on those verses. But if ya can't handle those at least meditate on these 2 verses throughout the day and pray/sing/recite them into your hearts.
Everything we have is from God and He has given us these crowns so that we can give them back. (Rev 4:10)
A little quote i have (from a friend who was praying for me) is:
"More of You (God) less of Drew"
Let us make that our prayer this week.
More of You God! Less of me!!
In everything we need to love God and our neighbour by using the things God gave us to spur on the Gospel in our lives by living in humility and servant hood.
Use what God's given ya for His will. Not your own!!!
Amen
-Drew
(e-mail me at andrewgusztak@hotmail.com if you have questions or concerns.)

Aug 21-23

2007-08-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

Its the cry of our heart to hunger and thirst and to get more of God, to behold and become more like Him (2Cor 3:18).
But we are not hungering and thirsting for no reason, we are hungering and thirsting because we know we will one day see Him.
So here is our focus:1Jn 3:3

And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

We fix our hope on Jesus and we get purified. What a sweet deal...
We purify ourselves by abiding in the Lord (1Jn 3:6)
We abide in Him by interacting with the Holy Spirit and by rooting ourselves in the Word. God will have His way in our lives and no matter how lightly or extremely you take action to follow this out you will see fruit because God will bring it about to bring glory to His Name.
So we fast and we pray and we push on to fix our hope on Jesus and to purify ourselves. We MUST take ACTION to purify ourselves!!!!!!
Amen
-Drew

Aug 14-16

2007-08-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ok here we go...

Eph 4: 21-25

21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
25Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
(NASB)

Everyone wants to get away from a 'business as usual' type of lifestyle. Weather its loosing yourself in a book, a movie, a job, wanting to retire early... ect. Its the (for lack of a better term) "American dream" to have a perfect life set apart from the world and totally being comfortable in any situation. Basically we all want to find an escape and we want to actually LIVE while we are alive on this earth.
God gives us an escape. He gives us the true meaning of life and ways to escape the 'business as usual'. He tells how in the verses above. Its all about setting our minds on things above and setting our hearts before the Lord in agreement. Seeking holiness and righteousness.
And how do we do it? Well Paul gives a few ways in the following verses but the number one way is to "speak truth". The bible also says that if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. God SPOKE the world into existence. Jesus is the living WORD of God. We need to realize that our words and our speech has a HUGE effect on our lives. Start Guarding your tongue and everything will fall into place! for REAL!
Anyways, lets hit this up this week and really shoot to try and attain to a higher level of our walk with God by really watching our tongue and our heart behind it. God bless you all!!!
-Drew
ps. if you have any prayer requests or comments or concerns you can e-mail them to me at: andrewgusztak@hotmail.com

Aug 6-8 and the 9th if ya want...

2007-08-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

This week is the GBF (http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=19844)

Have fun!
God Bless!

-Drew

July 31 - Aug 2

2007-07-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Numbers 6 is a clear definition of Old Testament fasting (in the context of the Nazirite vow). I like verse 21 which says:

"This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the Lord according to his separation, in addition to what else he can afford; according to his vow which he takes, so he shall do according to the law of his separation."

I've often related this verse to my own personal choice of fasting in the context of TVVT. We've decided to separate 3 days apart a week to fast and pray and seek the Lord, separated according to a vow we've made in our own hearts. Our offering is our time, our daily focuses (prayer, bible reading) and of course our heart posture towards the Lord. I've always wanted to give up more for the Lord or go harder or farther in the context of fasting and this verse also spurs me on to do that. "in addition to what else he can afford.." how much more can i afford to give up (in a worldly context) to make room for God in my life. How far will i take my consecration and really seek to be successful before the Lord? These are questions I often ask myself as i spur myself on to fast and pray and go harder for God. So now I’m asking all of us with TVVT how far on a personal level are we all willing to go?
So lets open our hearts before the Lord again this week, check our goals and our standard of fasting we've chosen before God and lets open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to search us this week and reveal our hearts and move to help us become more like Jesus. Well have fun!!! Lets go hard and give what we can, taking ground in the natural and spiritual, violently moving forward to hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5:6)
If you have any questions or concerns or prayer requests e-mail me at: andrewgusztak@hotmail.com
God Bless you all!
-Drew

July 24-26

2007-07-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a little sumthin sumthin...

John 2:9-10

9When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,
10and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."

Everything that Jesus does in this chapter is really significant to revealing Him as our Bridegroom God. These two verses especially jumped out at me when I read through this chapter again just a few days ago. Now I might be completely wrong, but I believe that these two verses explain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a generation and it all comes through a place of intimacy and communing with the Holy Spirit.
The servants knowing (apart from basically everyone else, excluding maybe Mary and Jesus' disciples) the wine had once been water is my connection to the secret place and how God works with us apart from our every day activities. (also the act of obedience by the servants to fill the water pots and take some of the water to the headwaiter is another lesson, but I’m not going to go into that.) Then the headwaiter calls the bridegroom and acknowledges the good wine last, which in my mind signifies Jesus giving the Holy Spirit and in the last days allowing a greater outpouring on the last generation (us).
So how do i relate this to TVVT? Well I’d say its a huge encouragement to keep seeking the Lord in the secret place. And I believe this also ties right in with Joel 2: 28-29

28"It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29"Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

So lets pray and solidify Jesus as our Bridegroom in our hearts this week. The more you acknowledge Him in this way the quicker this will become a reality in your heart. Amen! God Bless!!!
-Drew
*e-mail me at andrewgusztak@hotmail.com with questions or concerns or prayer requests.

July 17-19

2007-07-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back when i was with my family i was talking to them all about prophecy and basically just filling them in on how to prophecy and going to the Bible to read passages and learn on what the Word had to say on being prophetic. Anyways, my mom then wanted to try and get a word for everyone so she got Philippians 3:16 which was exactly what i need to hear at the time, and even now.
If this verse doesn't provoke you i don't know what will...
Philippians 3:16

however, let us keep living by the same standard to which we have attained.

This verse along with the verses preceding and following are very encouraging yet add a level of responsibility that should cause us to go back to our first love and seek the Lord in prayer and fasting.
So i'd encourage you to take a quick look at Philippians 3 and dive in to the deep and get some oil. Remember, your either moving forward with God or moving backward. As long as we are saying 'Yes' in our hearts and putting our best foot forward to seek Him throughout our day, He will move in our lives and take us higher. So get down with the Holy Spirit and pick His brain to find out whats on the Fathers heart for you this week, and how He wants to take you to a higher place. Stay at the natrual standard you've laid out for yourself through fasting/pray/quiet time with the Lord but remember He's got ya in His hand and He'll have His way no matter what. :)
-Drew

July 10-12

2007-07-09T16:37:00.001-07:00

This week for TVVT we will be switching our focus for the rest of the year.
Yes, this is still a fast, but we are going to be focusing more on time given to the Lord. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is NOT about the fast...The verse that highlights TVVT is Matt 5:6
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
There are ways to get filled on God (getting oil) and a few that we focus on are communing with His Spirit and by getting down daily in the Word. If you add a bit of fasting to any of your methods of reaching God it totally helps spur on revelation and intimacy.
That is why we fast. So its not really about the fast, but the fast just helps us get there... so it is about the fast! hah.
Anyways, after saying all of that I just want to write and say that TVVT is now shifting from Fasting to Setting time apart for the Lord and fasting.
I'll give you mine and my brothers plan for this so you get a little heads up about what this looks like: On Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays Stefan and I will spend our entire day in a quiet place dwelling on the Lord through prayer, time spent in the Word, playing music to God... those sorts of things. If we have work that day we work but as soon as we come home we hit that room and give the rest of the day to God. We cancel all social times and continually focus on God straight for 3 days.
We started this group at IHOP where we had tons of time to focus on God, so it made sense to just throw fasting in there to help it along, but now we have to take a step back and get down to square one where we realized that the time set apart is just as (if not more) important than the fast itself.
So we hope you can do with this what you will. Have fun this week. Make that schedule and Good luck with all that God has blessed you with!
-Drew
Ephesians 4:7 - But to each one of us grace was given accordingly to the measure of Christ's gift.

July 3-5

2007-07-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

Eph 4:1-3
1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The same way Paul implored the Ephesians to walk in such a way I'm gunna throw this verse out there and allow us TVVT'ers to do with it what we will... in other words lets get focused and take this bad boy to heart. I'd recommend everyone who's fasting this week to at some point go threw Eph 4-6. These 3 chapters have been a meditation focus of mine for about the last 4-5 months and I'd love to recommend them to anyone who had time to look into it.
So this week lets get down to business for 3 days and take extra time to run away with the Lord in fasting and prayer.
With Love:
-Drew
Ps. Lets make our prayer focus this week to be Family and Friends. Select a few people who you can bring before the Lord on a daily basis and lets contend for an in breaking of the Holy Spirit in a greater way in their lives and lets watch God move in our friends and family.

June 26-28

2007-06-26T05:34:00.001-07:00

2 Peter 3:17-18
17You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,
18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
I've used these verse as a TWT topic back in the day, but i think its time we looked into this again.
Its vital in our walk with the Lord that we keep to a scheduled part of our day that is set apart for prayer and meditation in the word. The same way Abel gave his "first fruits" to the Lord we must also give God the best of what we have; time, money, relationships, the things we focus on and hold as high responsibility in our lives. (Gen 4:4-5, Prov 3:9)
Its also very important that we don't let anything get in the way of our personal 1 on 1 time with God. The day i skip my bible reading time or loose focuse in my scheduled prayer life is the day i feel the attack of Satan more than ever before. I can always root the problem to skipping out on my time with God and it leaves me feeling vulnerable, frustrated and confused and in the end i know i could have been more proactive to keep myself from reaching that place of spiritual desperation.
A big thing that gets in the way of my time with the Lord are my friends and family. In regards to 2 Peter 3:17-18 most of my friends and all of my family are (in most free time situations) exempt from the description in which Peter is referring to the "unprincipled men" so when i'm with them i know, for the most part, that i am safe building relationships with them, and its easy keeping the Holy Spirit involved and in mind when being with them knowing together as the body of Christ we are moving forward. And on top of it they would never allow themselves to get in the way of my schedule.
But there are certain times when even they could pose a treat to takeing me away from my closet time before the Lord (if i allowed myself to draw away with them, as oviously thier schedual is different than mine) and there are other people/things that are in my life that could also pose a possible threat to drawing me away from the Lord in my secret place, or personal 1 on 1 closet prayer time.
Its important that we recognize these threats and bring them before the Lord and ask for grace to move forward to be cautious and on guard so that we are not taken from an intimate place in our day to day dwellings with God.
So this week, weather we've been strong in the last little while with staying true to God and ourselves and held to somewhat of a scheduled meeting time with the Lord or weather we've veered off from that, or haven’t started in a relationship with God in that sense at all, lets re-evaluate ourselves and put ourselves back on track, or press on to a deeper and more consecrated week before the Lord.
One of the best ways to actually do this is to find a friend or family member to hold us in their prayers and to keep us accountable to a standard that we've set out for ourselves. So this week lets find someone who we can partner with and have a time of sharing weather its to allow them to hold you to a righteous standard this week, or weather its to get together to confess sins or to just pray a few nights out of the week so that a deeper level of involvement with the Lord in that sense is accomplished.
So if you have any questions or concerns or prayer requests e-mail me at andrewgusztak@hotmail.com
Have fun this week and be blessed!
-Drew

Whats on my heart...

2007-06-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

This last week we were meditating on 1 John 2: 27-29. Like i mentioned in the last post, these 3 verses have impacted me a lot. There are some things i want to highlight that i've been focusing on about these verses that i want to bring to attention. So here are some of my thoughts:
1 John 2: 27-29 Notes:
-These verses are in a context to an end times theme that John was addressing to the church in regards to truth and the spirit of the antichrist and falling into deception concerning those things. (v 21-26)
-John states in verse 27 that we have no need for anyone to teach us but that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things. -The ways in which the Holy Spirit will teach us are in regards to Christ and growing in the mysteries/knowledge of God the Father by learning about His Son Jesus. (John 14:8, 16:13-15)
-The anointing that John speaks of is the working of the Holy Spirit that Christ has ordained for us. (John 14:26, 27, 15:11, 26, 16:7-15)
-Its also interesting to note that God is an experiential God. We learn all things by God working them out through us (life circumstances or just revelation in the secret place). It starts with us rooting ourselves in the Word and getting connected to the will of God (steadfast lifestyle of prayer/reading the bible) and then asking things of God and Him making them a reality in our lives by working through His Spirit to answer our prayers and making Himself known. (John 14:13-15, 15:7-8, 16:23-24, 2 Cor 3:18)
-Two of the most important realities that are found in these three verses are: abiding (walking by) in the Spirit and living righteously. If we follow through with these two callings on our lives we will not have fear of being ‘saved but wasted.’ (v. 28) John also speaks of confidence - he speaks again of being confident before the Lord in 1 Jn 5:14-15 and it is in direct relation to prayer. Its comforting to note that we can build confidence through prayer and seeking Gods heart in that area of being a servant to Him.-One of the most outstanding ways that we can practice righteousness is by living out the Matt 5-7 lifestyle. If we do so while seeking the Lord by His Spirit we will find ultimate fulfillment in this life and the next.
If you take a deeper look into any of these verses i'm sure you'd have come into the knowledge of a lot of what i was highlighting on your own, and the Spirit would give ya a lot more too! So keep at it! keep looking into these verses and enjoy! e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns at: andrewgusztak@hotmail.com
-Drew

June 19-21

2007-06-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

1 John 2:27-29
27)As for you, the anointing which you recieved from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
28)Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
29)If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
These three verses (along with all of 1 John 1 & 2) have been rocking me lately. One of the prep room leaders brought this up last week and i got so jacked for that hour that i HAD to run back to my seat afterwards and start meditating on this again. Not only does John break down the Holy Spirit anointing which effects all our lives but he also breaks down how to live life to the fullest, all within 3 little verses.
So for the next three days lets meditate on these verses and fast and pray accordingly. On the next post i'll write about some of the more significant things the Lord has put on my heart considering these verses and a life in the Holy Spirit.
Also this week our prayer focus will be the Jan-June One Thing interns from IHOP who all just whent home. Lets joing together and pray Col 1:9-11 over them and hit this hard as they're all moving forward in thier walk with the Lord outside of IHOP.
Well, Enjoy and God Bless!!
Feel free to e-mail me at andrewgusztak@hotmail.com if you have any prayer requests or questions or concernes.
-Drew

June 12-14

2007-06-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

Another week...
This week we'll be focusing on Isaiah 58:3 which reads:
Why have we fasted and You do not see?
Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?
Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire,
And drive hard all your workers
Well its day 15 of the 40 day fast... and America and a lot of the rest of the world is still goin hard at this thing. Its getting to the place however that you start to think that it just might not be worth it. Every person who partakes in an extended fast has a great opportunity to tap into humility. Even fasting 3 days a week as our group does sounds crazy to the rest of the world, and causes partakers of the weekly fast to really search themselves and make up thier mind about why the are doing this and is it really worth it in the end? is it worth going through the physical, mental and spiritual obsticals of not eating for a long period of time...
Well i say that it is! And as we fast we can humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and press on to know His heart and search the Spirit to reveal God's desires to us, and to make them a reality in our lives. So this week we are pressing on in the 40 day fast to make our desires known to us, and to press on for another week in TVVT to bring ourselves closer to God the Father through His Spirit in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ. Also along with the reality that this is God's heart for us, we'll come to know realities that will deepen our relationship with Him helping us break free from sin and encounter His love all the more. So lets get ourselves up there before the throne of grace and really focus on God and search ourselves one more time to get our realities straight... knowing this is the upside down kingdom and something like fasting really is worth is, and pays off in the end.
If you have any questions or concernes or prayer requests e-mail me at: andrewgusztak@hotmail.com
God Bless you all!!!!
-Drew

June 5-7th

2007-06-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Gang,
Well i was sitting in the prayer room the other night and i had a really fun revelation:
As christians we are all on a walk with God, so when we are fasting we are holding His hand.
Its fun to be out walking with someone, but when its someone special how much more when you hold thier hand. And when you hold someones hand for some reason you share a sence of thier feelings and engage in a deeper level of assurance with them. Also as we are fasting and "holding God's hand" it allows Him to more easily guide us and lead us where He wants us to go. Which is so true as we dive into the word and focus on praying and engaging with the Holy Spirit more. So i'm going to keep this short and leave you with that little tid bit that i've been thinking on lately. Overall i think this analogy of fasting and holding God's hand really makes a lot of sence and helps add a level of intamacy and adventure to a weekly routine of fasting and focusing more on our realtionship with God. Hopefully you all connect with it the same way i did.
If you have any questions or prayer requests just e-mail me at: andrewgusztak@hotmail.com. Bless you all and have a great week!
-Drew

May 29-31

2007-05-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

Let the fasting begin!!
As most of you know the 40 day fast starts today. (if you don't know get info here: http://www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000014470)
We are contending for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in America and around the world as we fast 40 days to end abortion, turn our backs on baal and re-marry Jesus.
So most of the TWT core team will be fasting these 40 days but i want to keep posting regularily to keep ya'll informed and to keep this page running at full speed.
The focus this week is simple: Set our hearts and our standards on God and fast and pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in each of our individual lives. We need to set our hopes and prayers high and move forward in confidence that God will meet us there.
Where do you want to be with in your walk with God? How can you acheive a maximum relationship with Him walking perfectly, 100% in your calling and knowing the full extend of the riches and the glory of His calling??
I'm sure we all have idea's and longings to reach the fullness of what God has for us and to find the fullness of Him within us (in every sence of the way) and nows the time to walk into that.
So for this week we will defign our prayers and search God's heart finding answeres and reaching forward in fasting and prayer, rending our hearts, to know Him and follow Him.
If you have any questions or concernes e-mail me at: andrewgusztak@hotmail.com
Have fun this week!
-Drew

Its Go Time

2007-05-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hello,
This week for TVVT we'll be focusing on walking/talking to the Spirit. Over the last few months I’ve been learning how important it is to be in touch with the Spirit.
And as we all know while we fast we open doors for the Spirit to move in our lives and we allow ourselves more opportunity to hear from Him. When its all said and done we need to have knowledge of God. And throughout the day its important to know what’s on His heart and what He is saying to us. The Holy Spirit is a real person who we need to get to know. The same way we talk to God the Father and Jesus we need to address the Holy Spirit and invite Him into our lives so that He can take us to a deeper relationship with God and to learn the leadership of our Lord Jesus better.Our focus verse this week comes from Philippians 1:27
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel...
I was reading through Philippians and this verse totally jumped off the page and reminded me the importance of the gospel and how Christ has called us to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. This verse also highlighted the importance of staying in one mind and spirit with our fellow believers as we press on to live according to the word and press on in our faith. I believe that this verse was an invitation for us in TVVT to press on together focused on our calling in Christ and to invite the Spirit to move in our lives, leading us and guiding us to a deeper relationship with our Lord.I'll end with a little prayer a wrote just a little while back. Enjoy! and have fun this week!!
Lead Me On
A single whisper
Or a thought in my head
A word form the Lord
Is what the Spirit said
Father teach me to hear Your voice
Show me how to follow Your way
Whether I'm here in Your house or out on the street
I need to hear the words you Say
Then I will walk in the light
And I'll be attentive to Your voice
Knowing in any precious moment
I'll turn to You and make the right choice
Amen

If we fast together now We'll feast together in the age to come...

2007-05-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hey gang,

This week we'll be fasting and praying as usual, but we'll be putting a little swing on things. A friend suggested to me that doing a negative-fast would be a fun idea. So we said that we would try and cut all negative talk out of our daily conversations and that every time we said something negative we would have to Hallel.
Hallel is a form of Jewish worship that basically means; to act foolishly before God. It is a form of praise and when in context of being adressed to people in regards to worshiping God it was a command and something the people had to do.
So i'd encourage you to take this week and engage in our negative-fast with us! Its a great way to feel the joy of the Lord, especially when add in a Hallel every here and then when you slip up.
Also i just want to remind and encourage you all with a little fun bit of revelation God gave me on this group. Back when we 1st started this fasting team i was in a prep room engaging in tounges and focusing on God and he brought up something i had said at one of our first meetings:
"If we fast together now We'll be feasting together in the age to come."
He reminded me of what i had said and put a level of seriousness to it. I truely believe that if we continue to fast together throughout our lives we will truely be sitting with eachother at the Bridgroom Feast (Marriage supper of the Lamb) in the millenial kingdom.
So be encouraged and God Bless!!!!
Prayer Requests:
Oscar on his trip
Healing for Vanessa's eye
funds for sanctuaryhop building - http://www.sanctuaryhop.com/
- If you have any general questions or want to contact me about TWT, you can reach me at andrewgusztak@hotmail.com
-Drew

Lets Get It On!!

2007-05-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hey yall!

So after God put it on my heart, and after last nights FCF i felt it was time to re-birth TVVT. The last few weeks we havn't had any meetings or prayer focuses, and i know all the FITN kids have felt totally left out since thier new track started. So i appologize and after talking to a few people and having some revelation on our fast group i've decided to kick it up again. I felt that overall a gang mentality had overtaken TVVT and people were fasting just cause they said they would... or that people just weren/t fasting at all. Those may have been wrong presumtions of the group but also i just felt that the overall longing to fast and come to meetings and continue the group were decreasing. So now instead of hosting group meetings to fast every week, i'll just be posting prayer requests and weekly bible verse focuses on here, like how we would discuss at regular weekly meetings. Also now it gives more freedom to fast as often as you'd like. Instead of feeling completely held to the group religiously you can be a part of the group and take it in stride as often as you want, knowing that i'll be posting every week and knowing there will be people fasting and praying every week. Also i'll have a description of this fast team in our profile so if you spur others on to fast and join the team just give em the web site and tell them to check the profile so anyone could join and fasting just by visiting our blog! w00t!!
Anyways so for this week we're just gunna hit this up old school with a few major prayer requests and focus more on the GBF. Next week we'll kick it into high gear. if you want to give me any prayer requests or if God's been impacting on your heart lately e-mail me your thoughts and i'll post so that we can have a group focus!! my e-mail is andrewgusztak@hotmail.com Thanks!!! love you guys! Be Blessed!

Prayer focus this week:
healing for Venessas eye
Oscar out on the GX missions trip
SanctuaryHOP still needs money for thier new building, info at - http://www.sanctuaryhop.com/